Fox vs Gamel in 2009? Fox by a landslide

Sound’s fans who have been carefully following the team all year will recall the great match-up in late Aprilbetween sluggers Jake Fox (Iowa) and Mat Gamel (Nashville).

Fox left that four-game series bumping his average by 20 points, ending with a sizzling .446. Gamel’s dropped in that series, to .389 (off by 11 points).

Jake Fox was 7-13, scored 7 runs, doubled twice, slugged 4 HRs, knocked in 6 runs, walked 4 times and struck out twice. His batting average after that series was a sizzling .446.

Mat Gamel was 6-15, scored three times, doubled once, hit 2 HRs, knocked in 4 runs, walked three times, and struck-out three times. Gamel’s batting average after that series was .389.

I got a ball and had both sluggers sign it, vowing to watch the progress of these two players the rest of the year.

Well . . . who has had the better year? Jake Fox . . . . by a landslide!

Gamel was called up to Milwaukee in mid-May. He played 48 games for Milwaukee and was returned to Nashville on July 21st. His batting average was .239 (with 113 ABs, 4 HRs, 16 RBIs). Since returning to Nashville in late July, Gamel has struggled so much that his batting average has dipped to .287 from its high of .336.

And what about Jake Fox?

Fox has played in 53 games for the Cubs (3B) after having been called up in late May this year. He is batting a very respectable .296 (142 ABs, 10 2Bs, 8 HRs, and 32 RBIs). He has an .842 OPS. Fox started getting 4+ ABs per game in mid June.

The bigger reality is this as of August 17th. Gamel is struggling back in Nashville (though he has been hotter these past ten games), and Jake Fox is enjoying a break-out season in Chicago, where he has probably earned the starting position at 3B.

Mat Gamel mans 3B for the Sounds while Jake Fox stands at the base (April 25).